professional learning at the cherwell school
TRANSCRIPT
Professional Learning at The Cherwell School
Tom Boulter – Deputy Head
TLAB 2015
Takeaways
1. Conscious restriction of focus – ‘narrow the lens’
2. Ignore stuff
3. Respect capacity
4. Make feedback count
5. Know that training makes teachers worse at teaching
The Cherwell School
Takeaway No 1
Conscious restriction of focus – ‘narrow the lens’
Where were we?
Cook County Hospital –‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell
The Goldman Algorithm:
– ECG
– Unstable angina
– Fluid on the lungs
– Blood pressure
Result:
Accuracy of diagnosis increased by 70%+
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
One faculty review - 2010
differentiation
develop thinking skills
develop thinking skills Clarify HW tasks
Language for EALFeedback in books
Ensure all are confident to answer questions
Encourage SEN students to verbalise understanding
Set homework at the beginning or in the middle
Insist on silencegroup in ability groups
‘Keep thinking AFL’
Ensure that all students are engaged
Use a different classroom layout for group work
More use of peer marking
pushing the most able
More use of praise
classroom management
Use non-verbal cues
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Our messages were...
Inconsistent
Incoherent
Erratic
Unpredictable
CPD?
What is ‘school culture’?
‘the lived experience of being in the school’
‘the way we do things round here’
Principles for Professional Learning
Teachers as learners
Focus on what makes
the most difference
Value autonomy / individuality
Principles for Professional Learning
Teachers as learners
Focus on what makes
the most difference
Value autonomy / individuality
What are our ‘things that make most difference’?
1 - Clear and appropriate learning intentions
2 - Tasks and activities which help students to learn
3 - Success criteria and use of models
4 - Feedback which moves students on
‘Minimum spec’
‘Jargon-busting’ version
1 – Teach them good stuff
2 – Make sure they are doing good stuff
3 – Show them how to do it, and how to do it well
4 – Tell them how they did / how to improve
Case Study: Assessment for Learning
Assessment for Learning is a teaching approach which asks students to rate their own confidence on topics they have studied, and encourages them to take control of their learning and identify areas where they need to improve.
Sound a bit boring?
‘SAFE’‘RISK-
TAKING’
Takeaway No 1
Conscious restriction of focus – ‘narrow the lens’
Takeaway No 2
Ignore stuff.
Educational Play-pumps?
• SEAL• L2L• PLTS• IWBs• VLE• APP• LATC• NATC• WTF• P4C• G + T• VAK• BLP• SBP
• Working Parties• Learning and Teaching
groups• Co-operative learning• Active Learning• Thinking Skills• Personalising Learning• Learning Competencies• Emotional intelligence• Multiple Intelligences• Learning Styles• Student Voice• Brain Gym
...Teach Meets?
Takeaway No 2
Ignore stuff.
Has your school done anything it should have ignored? What was it?
Takeaway No 3
Respect capacity
Teacher Learning Communities
Cross-curricular working groups
Agenda provided ‘from above’
Colleagues sharing practice, sharing ideas
Teacher Learning Communities
Cross-curricular working groups
Agenda provided ‘from above’
Colleagues sharing practice, sharing ideas
‘Head space’ is what matters
What should a teacher learn about at the moment?
TLCs 2.0
Subject-based
Self-selected development area
Loose structure
Teachers working on what they are currently teaching
Learning by collaboratively DOING
TLCs 2.0
Subject-based
Self-selected development area
Loose structure
Teachers working on what they are currently teaching
Learning by collaboratively DOING
TLCs 2.0
Subject-based
Self-selected development area
Loose structure
Teachers working on what they are currently teaching
Learning by collaboratively DOING
TLCs 2.0
Subject-based
Self-selected development area
Loose structure
Teachers working on what they are currently teaching
Learning by collaboratively DOING
TLCs 2.0
Subject-based
Self-selected development area
Loose structure
Teachers working on what they are currently teaching
Learning by collaboratively DOING
TLCs 2.0
Subject-based
Self-selected development area
Loose structure
Teachers working on what they are currently teaching
Learning by collaboratively DOING
Takeaway No 3
Teacher time is precious
Takeaway No 4
Make feedback matter
Lesson Observation
What did we change?
No lesson gradings
‘Typical features’
‘Quality of thought’ over ‘progress’
Pre-observation meetings
Styles of Feedback
Pure coachingDraws out reflection from the ‘coachee’
Very little direct advice or feedback
Coachee talks more than the coach
Requires skilful questioning
Pure directiveObserver ‘tells it how it is’
Clear, direct messages
Little response / opportunity for dialogue
Common problems with feedback
Too much information
Unclear / contestable
Too relational
Too insensitive
Humility in feedback
‘an appropriate relationship with your opinions’
We all see ‘through a narrow lens’
‘Holding opinions lightly enough’
Takeaway No 4
Make feedback matter
Practice
Think of a lesson observation feedback you’ve done
Think through how you would do this using the PI structure
Practise with a (silent) partner
Takeaway No 5
Know that training makes teachers worse at teaching
A typical learning journey - modelling
• Top end make some progress
• Lower / middle make little progress
Little / No modelling
• Clunky
• Modelling ‘gets in the way’
• Lesson feels ‘worse’
Provide a model • Students don’t
engage well
• Feels ‘laboured’ and time-consuming
• Better progress
Use Models
• Low access / high challenge achieved
• Modelling becomes more precise / fluent / effective
Use modelling more effectively
• Modelling is habitual / effective
• Various styles / approaches used
• Modelling supports creativity / excitement / joy
Increasing expertise
A typical learning journey - modelling
Final thought
What are we going to actually do about workload?
@tomboulter